How do I fit a rope piston ring to a beam engine condenser?

Gallery, Projects and General > How do I??

<< < (3/4) > >>

Fergus OMore:
Andy,
I'm still 'with a natural fibre' and agree that hemp makes sense because unlike synthetics hemp rope will absorb water.
It was one of the reasons that hemp climbing ropes were superceded with nylon after the war! They got bloody heavy when wet and frozen.

I'm still going back to oakum and packing and probably something like a gigantic( to you but titchy to a real engine builder' ring compressor.
Again, I am quite unabashed about what was actually something akin to the gooey stuff that we used in wax chucks and made out of rosin, suint and wax.

Probably, you should refer to a strange reference--- Stuffing boxes.

Probably there are still oldies with active minds and more hands on knowledge to help you further. My great grandfather, grandfather, my father and two brothers would have gently smiled.

Cheers

Norman

AndyB:
Thanks Norman,

I have been given advice to chase up the way the Navy reduces a rope to a point, with reference to hammocks.

But all ideas and suggestions welcome; if I don't use them on this then I certainly will on other projects.

Andy

Fergus OMore:
Basically, you are looking at the long splice but keep the splice from thickening, the individual strands are tapered - sort of until the rope looks one complete length or circle.

I suspect that this is becoming a lost art. I recall doing one- not very good- for my Second Class in the Boys Scouts.

Long time since I had a 'main sheet' in my hand and it folded over the tiller arm- and my toes hooked under the gunnel-and my dear wife nursing the gib sheet.

Thankx

John Hill:
How to put a taper on the end of a rope?

I hope the rope is like real natural rope and made of short fibres twisted together? If so I think you could unravel each lay and comb out some of the fibres, combing more towards the end. Then retwist the lays and recreate the rope. You want it to hold together of course and you want to use something authentic so maybe lanolin or something like water pump grease or even petroleum jelly could be worked in to the fibres of the tapered part.

Fergus OMore:
I'd sort of forgotten that I'd done a bit of sailing and boat building and this and that.

Today, I came across this across this:-

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/tools/clamptite/index.htm

Thought that you might find it and the rest of the stuff at 'Duckworks' interesting.

Cheers me dears

Navigation

 Message Index

Go to full version